CDMT Careers Conference, Teachers' Forum and Accredited Schools' Showcase Performance

This day provided a great chance for performing arts teachers, students and their parents to take a closer look at some of the excellent UK schools which offer opportunities for students wishing to further their training in the fields of dance, drama and musical theatre. The event – which was organised by the Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre (CDMT) and hosted by the Urdang Academy – took place across three venues, The Old Finsbury Town Hall, Urdang 2 and the Shaw Theatre.

In the Old Finsbury Town Hall there were two events running simultaneously – The CDMT Careers Conference and the CDMT Teachers' Forum. Both events had access to the Market Place consisting of over 30 stands representing a wide array of schools, colleges, awarding organisations and specialist organisations. This provided a chance for students to look at a prospectus or syllabus for their chosen school or awarding organisation, discuss possible courses and find out more about some of the places where they might apply. Exhibitors were very helpful and enthusiastic about explaining what a student could study, what disciplines and styles were offered and where alumni were now performing. It was extremely useful to have all the stands in one place and to have experts on hand for prospective students to gather application forms and information about summer schools and open days in the various institutions. Parents could ask questions about fees and how training might be supported through scholarships, bursaries, Dance and Drama Awards and Higher Education funding. Advice was given on professional training, qualifications and teacher training. A variety of literature was available to take away, such as prospectuses, syllabuses, application forms, and even a DVD from Northern Ballet School which contains a film of dance students training in a variety of disciplines, an interview with the principal, and past students talking about their careers.

The Teachers' Forum offered a bespoke itinerary designed with performing arts teachers in mind. There were seminars throughout the day including ‘Unlocking Creativity through syllabus work’ from the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD); ‘Affordable and user-friendly software tools for managing accounts, admin and timetables’ from DanceBiz; ‘Recruiting and Retaining Boys in Dance’ from United Kingdom Alliance (UKA); ‘Musical Theatre’ from bbodance; ‘Life as a Performer of Colour’ from Andre Francis; ‘Preparing students for vocational training – understanding qualifications and funding’ from KS Dance; and ‘Optimising Performance and Minimising Injury’ from Safe in Dance.

There were over 200 student and parent/guardian delegates at the Careers Conference and the atmosphere was very positive. The Urdang Academy provided friendly students at the reception desk who welcomed the delegates and guided them to the various rooms for seminars. Besides these informative and stimulating sessions, there was a series of workshops on offer including practical sessions in musical theatre; ballet, contemporary, commercial and jazz dance; and acting. These sessions were led by staff from CDMT accredited schools.

At around 4pm, delegates made their way by foot or public transport to the Shaw Theatre to watch a 90-minute showcase performed by current students of CDMT's accredited schools. This was a fantastic opportunity to see the performers in action and to witness the very high standards, exemplary techniques and wide range of skills of the students at these schools. No wonder the UK theatre scene is so successful with so much young talent waiting in the wings.

This event is perfect for any student wishing to find out more about professional training, funding and career progression in the industry, as well as their parents and teachers.

The Careers Conference and Showcase 2018 took place on 25 November 2018 and was supported by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation. The Teachers’ Forum was supported by Harlequin.

ParticipantsABRSM, Academy of Live and Recording Arts, Arts Ed, bbodance, Bird College, Body Work Performing Arts, British Theatre Dance Association, Creative Academy, D&B Performing Arts, Dancing Times, Elmhurst Ballet School, Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, International Dance Teachers' Association, Italia Conti, KS Dance, Laine Theatre Arts, Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, Liverpool Theatre School, London Studio Centre, MADD College, Masters Performing Arts College, Millennium Performing Arts, Mountview, National Assocation of Teachers of Dancing, Northern Ballet School, Performers College, RAD, Safe in Dance, Stella Mann, UKA and Urdang Academy

CDMT was previously known as the Council for Dance Education and Training. In March of the organisation's 40th year, an adjustment of the company name was formally launched at the House of Lords.For further information, email info@cdmt.org.uk or visit the website cdmt.org.uk